Studiocanal has released, on Blu-ray and DVD, 1963’s The Punch and Judy Man. It stars Tony Hancock, joining the ranks of the Vintage Classics collection.

The Punch and Judy Man contains many well-known and loved faces of the British film industry, including John Le Mesurier, Ronald Fraser, Hugh Lloyd, Sylvia Sims, Norman Bird, Barbara Murray and Peter Vaughan, with even a brief cameo from Hattie Jaques.

The Story…

Wally Pinner (Tony Hancock) earns a modest living as a Punch and Judy man in the fictional seaside town of Piltdown. His wife, Delia (Sylvia Sims), runs a shop with their flat above. She is socially ambitious, doing her best to be upwardly mobile by making a good impression on the town’s higher-ups, such as the Mayor’s wife, Mrs Palmer (Pauline Jameson). However, this is where they disagree: Wally is content with his lot and always has been. Delia feels she sacrificed during the earlier years of their marriage when they toured the country in showbusiness, never putting down any roots. So she is doubly determined to make something of their life in Piltdown.

We find that Wally’s colleagues in the seaside resort entertainment business are a close-knit bunch. Although they squabble at times, they support each other.

The local council officials, led by the Mayor (Ronald Fraser), are preparing to welcome Lady Caterham to their illuminations ceremony. They want to impress her, as they are almost disproportionately proud of Piltdown. They see it as a very respectable town, somewhat disapproving of Wally and his colleagues as lower forms of entertainment.

However, Mrs Palmer invites Wally, via Delia, to perform at the illuminations gala. Delia agrees on Wally’s behalf, but he is reluctant to go through with it. Eventually, he commits in order to please Delia, since it is so important to her.

On the evening of the gala, things do not go as planned for any of the participants, the event ending in disappointment for Delia.

My Impressions…

Having recently reviewed The Rebel, Tony Hancock’s previous film, I found The Punch and Judy Man refreshing and surprising. The first thing that struck me was that Hancock’s character had his own separate name. I was intrigued and eager to see him play a character who was not merely an extension of the one he had long played on radio and television.

I was not disappointed. Hancock has co-writer credit on this film (alongside Philip Oakes), with his long-time writers Galton and Simpson nowhere to be seen. This means the film has a different tone than many Hancock fans might have been expecting at the time.

His performance is genuine with a subtlety that is not always associated with him in hindsight. The sympathy he brings to Wally makes this film very compelling. The character of Delia, while at odds with Wally’s sensibilities, is also relatable and played sweetly by oh-so-capable Sylvia Sims. They work well together with a chemistry which is pleasing and believable.

John Le Mesurier’s turn in The Punch and Judy Man is much more satisfying than the one he was afforded in The Rebel. His character, Charles Arthur Ford–seemingly a sort of lonely, self-imposed exile from the upper classes–is so likeable and rounded. He brings a sort of wisdom and grounding to the film.

Ronald Fraser is detestable as the Mayor, with Pauline Jameson the polar opposite as his inoffensive wife. Barbara Murray brings the perfect amount of entitled haughtiness to her role as Lady Caterham. A stand-out for me is Hugh Lloyd as Wally’s long-suffering, good-natured assistant, Edward Cox.

Tony Hancock and Hugh Lloyd as Wally Pinner and Edward Cox. Image courtesy of Studiocanal.

The Punch and Judy Man never over-indulges in anything. Just when we, as the audience, might feel a scene is playing for too long or a particular point is becoming laboured, it is pulled back and balanced out. There is humour, offset with dissatisfaction, disappointment and resentment. It does not feel like a Tony Hancock vehicle. It has all the elements of a thoroughly good British film.

Most, if not all, of the exterior filming was done at Bognor Regis on the south coast of England. Being from that part of the world myself, I found an extra layer of enjoyment in both the recognition of each location used and in the general vibe and attitudes of the different types of people portrayed in the film. These character types and issues, although exaggerated for entertainment purposes, would–I think–feel very familiar to anyone who has spent a large portion of their life in a town similar to Piltdown. The accuracy of some of the observations could likely be attributed to Tony Hancock’s own life experience of growing up in a seaside town with his parents in the tourist business. Piltdown feels very real, which makes it easy for the viewer to enter Wally’s world and inhabit it for long enough to follow his journey.

Picture Quality

The Punch and Judy Man was restored with a fresh 2K transfer in 2021. This is the transfer used for this release from Studiocanal. It could seem like a backwards step to go from a vibrant colour picture like The Rebel into a black-and-white production. But the monochrome suits the slightly tired air of the fictional seaside resort and its residents depicted in The Punch and Judy Man.

There is no lack of detail or depth. In fact, many scenarios are arguably more atmospheric and moving because there is no distraction from the emotion and intention of the scene.

Extra Features

The bonus material featured on this new release include:

Hard Knocks: Paul Merton on The Punch and Judy Man
Series 1 Episode 7 of The Blackpool Show hosted by Tony Hancock, with original commercials included
An excerpt from the 1967 series Hancock’s

and more.

In Conclusion…

I highly recommend The Punch and Judy Man to any film fan. It is a lovely example of British cinema and stands up for a wide audience. It is much more than “just” a Hancock vehicle. As a relative novice to Tony Hancock’s material, save for a few clips of television and a few episodes of the radio series Hancock’s Half Hour, I can say that I was surprised by this film.

Sometimes, seeing that the star of the film has also had some type of creative control behind the scenes can be a red flag. However, there is little self-indulgence here. There is much more subtlety in the whole film than I expected, with most of my expectations based on the Galton and Simpson Hancock character.

The episode of the variety programme The Blackpool Show included as a bonus feature adds extra value to this release, in my opinion. It is an enjoyable watch, with Tony Hancock on surprisingly good form as host.

I would urge anybody who has ever enjoyed a piece of British cinema from anywhere between the 1940s and the 1980s to seek out The Punch and Judy Man.

The Punch and Judy Man is available to order now.